Carton filling machine



Sept. 8, 1953 c. J. MALHIOT CARTON FILIIING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1950 INVENTOR."

CL/QIEENCE .1. MALHIOT BY TM I Hf" ATT'YS Sept. 8, 1953 c. .1. MALHIOT CARTON FILLING MACHINE '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug 29, 1950 INVENTO/i: CLARENCE J. MALHIOT ATT'YS Sept. 8, 1953 c. J. MALHIOT CARTON FILLING-MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: gARENCE J. MALHIOT BY .Illllllllllflfllil I ATT'YS Sept. 8, 1953 c. J. MALHIOT CARTON FILLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 29, 1950 m m w m Patented Sept. 8, 1953 CARTON FILLING MACHINE Clarence J. Malhiot, Chicago, Ill., assignor to F. B. Redington ('30., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application August 29, 1950, Serial No. 181,984

19 Claims.

The improved carton filling machine comprising the present invention is primarily adapted for use in packaging wrapped semi-solid substances, as for example, oleomargarine, butter or the like, and the machine, in its application, is adapted for use in filling prepared, open-ended, cardboard cartons with one or more wrapped articles or unitsof the substance. By way of illustration the machine has been shown as being capable of inserting two half pound foil wrapped, molded, rectilinear units of oleomargarine into the open end of a prepared carton, the machine operating continuously and at relatively high speed with the packaged cartons being delivered therefrom at the rate of approximately 120 per minute.

The invention is, however, capable of other uses and the same may, with or without modification, be employed in the packaging of articles other than those of a semi-solid r moldable nature, whether wrapped or unwrapped and regardless of the shape or hardness thereof.

In carrying out the principles of the invention, the same contemplates the provision of a machine having a continuously moving carton conveyor, a. continuously moving article conveyor, and a continuously moving filler conveyor, the latter being so termed because the instrumentalities associated therewith constitute the mechanism for pushing articles carried by the article conveyor into the cartons carried by the carton conveyor. The movements of the carton conveyor and of the filler conveyor are accurately synchronized so that the straightaway portions of each travel at the same rate of speed. The movements of the article conveyor are preferably but not necessarily similarly timed with the movements of the other two conveyors so that the three upper straightaway portions or runs thereof move in unison in the same direction through an overlapping section or region thereof to provide a filling zone.

The article conveyor is of the endless belt type and the articles carried thereon rest by gravity on the belt in closely spaced or contiguous relationship.

A series of laterally movable reciprocating filler slide or pusher assemblies are mounted on and travel with the filler conveyor and move gradually inwardly of the machine toward the articles on the article conveyor as they approach the filling zone and continue to so move inwardly to engage the articles and push them progressively into the cartons on the carton conveyor during movement of the filler slides past the filling zone. The filler slides pass downwardly and across the bottom run of the conveyor and from thence upwardly for repetitious movement through the filling zone and during such return movement the filler slides are retracted.

Each filler slide includes an article blocking or interceptor slide which traverses the article conveyor during passage of the filler slide through the filling zone and, in so traversing the article conveyor it isgiven a reverse longitudinal component of movement relative to the article conveyor and also a reverse lateral component of movement relative to the movement of the filler slide and the net vectorial component of motion applied thereto is one which causes the interceptor slide to remain substantially motionless relative to the machine itself with the slide remaining poised'over the article conveyor at the entrance to the filling zone to engage the leading oncoming article on the conveyor and hold back the oncoming series of articles until such time as the next adjacent filler slide assembly passing through the filling zone has at least partially performed its filling function and at least partially cleared the zone for further filling operations on the next succeeding article or group of articles.

The invention further contemplates certain flap bending mechanism which is operable during passage of the articles and cartons through the filling zone to move the carton flaps out of the path of articles entering the cartons.

The invention still further contemplates the provision of a dwell period during the inward stroke of the filler slide which is provided for the purpose of holding the article or articles undergoing insertion stationary relative to the carton to enable an insert (which, in the case of oleomargarine, may be a small fiat packaged item of coloring material) to be introduced into thecarton from the end of the carton remote from the article filling end.

The provision of a carton filling machine of the character briefly outlined above being the principal object of the invention, numerous other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent as the nature of the same is better understood.

In the accompanying four sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a carton filling machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the operative machine instrumentalities in the vicinity of the filling zone;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the disclosure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view showing a carton flap spreader mechanism employed in connection with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, schematic in its representation, of the driving mechanism for the machine;

Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive are fragmentary, perspective views, somewhat diagrammatic in their representation, illustrating the progressive movements of the cartons, articles and one of the pusher or filler slides through the filling zone;

Fig. 10 is an exploded view or a portion of the pusher or filler slide assembly, and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view, schematic in its representation, showing the cam control mechanism for operating the pusher or filler slide assemblies.

In all of the above described views, similar characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts throughout.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the packaging apparatus involves in its general organization a main framework or casting to which serves to support thereon in operative relationship all of the operating, movable and stationary machine instrumentalities which cooperate to make up the entire machine. Among these instrumentalities are a carton conveyor l2 of the chain and sprocket type; an article conveyor [4 of the moving belt type and a filler conveyor N3 of the chain and sprocket type. The three conveyors l2, l4 and 18 are arranged in side-by-side relationship with their'upper runs or straightaway portions occupying substantially the same horizontal plane and with the article conveyor occupying a position in between the carton conveyor and the filler conveyor. The three upper runs or straightaway portions of the conveyors l2, l4 and it overlap each other in a longitudinal direction to provide a filling zone Z wherein one or more of the articles A are bodily moved or ejected from the article conveyor [8 by the mechanism of the filler conveyor I6 and are pushed into the open ended carton C situated on the carton conveyor 12.

The three conveyors I2, 14 and it are adapted to be driven continuously from a common source of power designated Power in Fig. 5 which schematically shows the driving relationship between the three conveyors.

The carton conveyor The carton conveyor 12 preferably includes a driving shaft l8 (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) and a driven shaft 20 having driving and driven sprockets 22 and 24, respectively, mounted thereon and over which sprockets there passes a conveyor chain 2'5. The driving shaft 18 (and consequently the driving sprocket 22 of the article conveyor) is adapted to be driven from a power shaft 21 connected to the source of power and for convenience a chain and sprocket mechanism 26 is employed for this purpose. The chain carries at spaced points therealong a series of dividers 28 which are slidably supported on rails 39 in the straightaway portion of the conveyor. A table 3! (Fig. 4) underlies the chain 25 and forms a sup ort for the latter and for the articles carried thereon during their movement through the straightaway portion of the conveyor. The formed cartons C are fed from an adjacent carton forming machine (not shown) onto the receiving end of the conveyor l2 and pass under guide rails 32 (Fig. 1) as they approach the receiving end of the conveyor. A tiltable, pivoted retaining bar or weight assembly 34 assists in maintaining the cartons in position, as they pass through the filling zone Z wherein the articles are pushed into the open ends of the cartons on the carton conveyor l2. A similar weight assembly is provided for retaining the filled packages in position as they pass out of the filling zone and move toward a flap folding zone which may be associated with the machine but which has not been illustrated herein.

The dividers 28, which are equally spaced on the conveyor l2, form therebetween a series of carton receiving and conveying pockets 36, each of which is adapted to receive therein one of the pre-folded box-like cartons C and carry the same along the straightaway portion of the conveyor through the filling zone to the flap folding and sealing zone (not shown) and from thence to a point of discharge. A rear backing rail 38 extends along the straightaway portion of the conveyor l2 and serves to align the successive cartons and form a backing or reaction member therefor as the articles A are pushed thereinto.

The end flap spreading mechanism Referring now to Fig. 1, the carton end flaps ie are adapted to be raised out of the path of movement of the articles at the filling zone in order to permit the articles to readily enter the open end of the cartons. Toward this end a stationary guide rail 41] extends along the machine through the filling zone and occupies a position elevated above the level of the straightaway portions of the conveyors l2 and M and directly in the path of movement of the flaps ,fe as the cartons enter' the filling zone Z. The guide rail 40 is adapted to engage the leading edge of each flap as it enters the zone Z, and by a camming action bend the flap is out of the plane of the carton sides to which it is attached, so that the articles A may enter the open end of the carton C without interference from the flap fe. The side flaps fs of the carton are also adapted to be spread outwardly from the plane of the carton sides to which they are attached by mechanism subsequently to be described.

The article conveyor The article conveyor 14 (Figs. 1 and 5) is of the endless belt type and includes a belt 42 which passes over driving and driven pulleys 44 and 46, respectively, the latter being carried on the main power shaft 21. A belt supporting plate or table 48 extends along the upper straightaway portion of the conveyor underneath the belt and absorbs the gravitational thrust of the articles travelling on the conveyor. The conveyor hi includes a pair of guide rails 50 which terminate forwardly of the filling zone Z. The articles are adapted to be received on the article conveyor M at the receiving end thereof and to progress in substantially contiguous relationship therealong between the guide rails 50 toward the filling station until such time as they become aligned with the respective cartons into which they are to be loaded and with a series of pusher elements, hereinafter referred to as filler slides, associated with the filler conveyor [6, at which time the filler slides are adapted to move inwardly toward the article conveyor I4 and carton conveyor I2 and force two of the contiguous articles simultaneously into the open ended carton at the filling zone.

The filler conveyor The filler conveyor I6 is of the double chain type and includes a pair of driving sprockets 52 and a pair of driven sprockets 54 (Figs. 1 and 3), the driving sprockets 52 being mounted on the power shaft 21. A pair of conveyor chains 56 pass over the sprockets 52 and 54 and travel in unison in the usual manner of dual chain conveyors.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the conveyor chains 56 carry thereon a series of filler slide assemblies 60. Each assembly includes a channel shaped member 62 which constitutes a pusher rod or filler slide guide member having disposed therein a pusher rod 64, hereinafter termed the filler slide. Each guide member is provided with opposed guideways 66, and the filler slide includes a stem or shank portion 68, the opposite sides of which are slidably received within the guideways 66. Each filler slide is formed with a head portion (see also Fig. 10) including a pusher plate I2 at the inner end of the shank portion 68. The pusher plate is provided with a flat, outer surface I4 designed for pushing engagement with the articles on the article conveyor I4. The extent of the surface I4 of the pusher plate 12 is such that it will bridge the overall end surface area of two adjacent articles existing on the article conveyor when the latter are aligned with the open end of a carton C at the filling station in order that the two articles may be simultaneously forced or inserted into the open end of the carton during one operative stroke of the filler slide 64. The extent of the plate I2 may, however, be varied in accordance with the dimensions of the cartons undergoing filling and this surface may be designed for engagement with a greater or lesser number of the articles on the article conveyor as desired.

The filler slide 64 is provided with guideways I6 which are angularly disposed with respect to both the pusher plate I2 as well as with respect to the axis of the shank 68 of the filler slide. The guideways I6 receive therein a guide plate II which is secured by means of screws I8 to a triangular interceptor plate 80 having a vertical article restraining flange 82 formed thereon designed for engagement with the lead-.

ing side of an article on the article conveyor I2 for the purpose of restraining the series of articles on the conveyor from blocking or interfering with the operations of a preceding filler slide assembly on the filler conveyor I6. A pin BI extends upwardly from the guide plate I! through a recess 83 provided in the interceptor plate 80 and carries thereon a roller 84 which is disposed above the level of the interceptor plate and which is designed for engagement with a guide rail 86 (Figs. 1 and 2) which exists in the end region of the conveyor I6 and with a cam rail 88 which exists in the vicinity of the filling zone Z in a manner and for a purpose that will be made clear presently. A coil spring 89, secured at one end to the filler slide head I0 and at the other end to the interceptor plate 80, serves normally to maintain the interceptor plate in a retracted position.

The filler slide is provided with an upstanding pin 90 thereon in the medial regions thereof and ment with a cam plate 92 which is fixedly secured to the machine framework and which is provided for the purpose of moving the filler slide unit from a retracted position, where it is out of engagement with the articles on the conveyor I2, to an advanced position where it engages the articles and forces them into the cartons C on the carton conveyor I0 at the fillling zone Z. The roller 9I is also designed for engagement with a retracting cam guide rail 94 (Figs. 1 and 11), which is likewise suitably supported from the stationary machine framework and which extends generally around the path of movement of the conveyor chains 56.

The side flap spreading mechanism In order to spread the lefthand side flap is of each carton C, as viewed in Fig. 1, out of the plane of the carton side to which it is attached,-

a stationary pin I00 is secured to the machine framework and occupies a position directly in the path of movement of both the righthand and the lefthand side flaps is as the cartons pass through the filling zone. As each carton approaches the pin I00, the righthand side flap thereof will engage the pin and be forced inwardlyuntil such time as it has moved out of the influence of the pin I00 as the carton progresses through the zone. The other side flap is is then engaged by the pin I00 and, in passing the pin, is spread outwardly from the'plane of the side to which it is attached, the spreading action taking place precisely at a moment immediately prior to entrance of the articles into the carton.

In order to spread the first-mentioned or leading end flap fe of each carton to facilitate ready access to the interior of the carton by the articles undergoing packaging, a pair of radially extending flap spreading fingers I02 (Fig. 4) project outwardly in diametric opposition from a collar portion I04, which is formed on a pinion I06 'rotatably journalled on a pin I08 suitably mounted on the machine. The teeth of the pinion I06 project into the path of movement of the conveyor chain 25 of the carton conveyor I2 so that the conveyor link connecting pins and the pinion I06 operate in the manner of a rack and gear assembly to cause continuous rotation of the pinion I06 and consequently continuous revolution of the fingers I62 about the axis of the shaft I08 in timed relationship to the movement of the carton conveyor I0. A slot H0 is formed in the machine frame I0 and provides a, clearance for the fingers I02 during their revolution about the axis of the shaft I08. The arrangement of parts just described is such that the pinion rotates approximately one-half of a revolution each time a carton arrives at the filling zone. Each carton arriving at the filling zone assumes a position wherein the righthand side flap fs may be engaged and spread outwardly by an end of one of the pins I02 immediately prior to introduction of the article into the carton C.

The operation of the mwchine In the operation of the machine, the cartons C are withdrawn from a suitable stack thereof and spread to open position by suitable mechanism (not shown). The spread or opened cartons are fed to the receiving end of the carton conveyor I2, a single carton being received between a pair of the dividers 28 as they enter the straightaway portion of the conveyor. Each carton C is therefore confined between a pair of 7 adjacent dividers and caused to move through thefilling zone Z on the conveyor 12, the entrance to the filling zone being made from beneath the guide rails 32. The articles A which, in the illustrated case, constitute half-pound foil wrapped packages of oleomargarine or butter of rectilinear design are fed to the receiving end of the article conveyor M and loosely rest upon the endless belt 42 thereof. The articles are preferably placed on the conveyor belt 42 in closely spaced or contiguous relationship in edge-toedge relationship, as shown at the righthand side of Fig. 1.

During the initial entry of the cartons into the filling zone Z the upstanding fiap spreading pin I and the rotary fingers H32 carried on the pinion I66 (Fig. 4) operate in the manner previously described to spread the trailing side flap is and the leading side flap is outwardly out of the plane of the carton sides to which they are attached while at the same time the guide rail 6!] serves to elevate the end flap ,fe so that the inner end of the carton C, i. e., the end thereof facing the medial conveyor [4 is unobstructed for passage of two of the articles A into the carton. It will be understood that the side and end flaps at the outer side of the carton will be prefolded and that the folding operation will take place by instrumentalities not associated with the present invention. As the carton proceeds through the filling zone, two of the contiguous articles are moved into position on the conveyor I4 in exact alignment with the open end of the carton by virtue of the interceptor plate 80 associated with a preceding filler slide assembly, and during the initial entry of the carton and article into the filling zone the roller 9i on the filler slide shank '88 moves into engagement with an inclined surface I29 (Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9) provided on the cam plate 92 so that as the filler slide assembly continues to move bodily longitudinally through the straightaway portion of the conveyor Hi, the filler slide 64 is moved inwardly of the machine and the inner surface '54 of the pusher plate !2 is caused to engage the leading pair of articles on the conveyor i4 and force the same into the open end of the carton progressively. The progressive movement of the two articles into the carton is continuous until such time as the roller 9! moves onto a dwell portion l2! provided on the cam plate 92, at which time movement of the two articles into the carton is momentarily halted to permit insertion into the carton from the outer end thereof of an article, as for example (in the case of packaged oleomargarine) a packaged quantity or envelope of coloring material. When the roller again strikes the inclined surface !22 of the cam plate 32 the final thrust of the two articles into the carton is performed and thereafter the roller El engages a relatively sharply inclined portion I provided on the cam rail 94 (Figs. 1 and 11) so that the filler slide proper is rapidly withdrawn from the filled carton for passage underneath the conveyor and back to the filling zone at the receiving side thereof.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 6-9, inclusive, it will be seen that shortly after the pusher plate 12 engages the first pair of articles A to be introduced into a carton, the roller 84 carried on the pin SI of the interceptor plate 80 will approach the stationary cam rail 88 and finally en age the same, thus terminating inward movement of the interceptor plate 83 relative to the carton conveyor, while allowing the filler slide 64- to proceed inwardly to perform its filling operation.

Since the interceptor plate is movable relative to the shank 68 of the filler slide 64 along a line which extends substantially at a 45 angle from the axis of movement of the filler slide 64, it will, by a carnming action impart a lateral component of movement to the interceptor plate relative to the axis of the filler slide. Because of the fact that the pusher assembly 66 in its entirety is travelling along the straightway portion of the conveyor I5 in the direction of discharge of the articles, this lateral component or" motion applied to the interceptor slide will be a reverse component of motion relative to the forward travel of the articles A on the conveyor [4. The rate of travel of the three conveyors, the angularity of the surface I26 of the cam plate Q2 and the angularity of the guideways 15 in the filler head Ill are so designed according to engineering exigencies that the net result of the various cam actions involved will cause the interceptor plate 89 to move over the conveyor belt 62 of the article conveyor Hi to engage and intercept the leading article on the belt and hold or jam, so to speak, the entire group of oncoming articles on the conveyor against forward motion during that portion of time which is required to force the articles at least a major portion of the distance required to enclose them in the carton.

At a certain point in the cyclic operation of the filler slide assemblies 66 at the filling zone Z the cam rollers ride onto a sharply inclined dropoff surface V25 provided on the rail 88. The inclination of the cam surface 225 is not critical and the same is merely provided to lessen the noise factor associated with the roller when the same strikes the straight terminal region of the cam rail. Such dropping off of the roller 84 permits the coil spring 89 to return the interceptor plate 8% to its normal position relative to the filler slide head it.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the movements of the interceptor plate 86 are so correlated that the restraining fiange 82 thereof engages the leading edge of an oncoming article A on the conveyor is and aligns this leading edge with the trailing edge or surface of one of the divider elements 28, which serve to space the prepared cartons C on the carton conveyor (2, and maintain this relationship of alignment just prior to, during, and after entry of the articles has been made through the carton opening. Since size of the articles is matched with the size of the cartons, as the leading side of the leading article on the conveyor I4 is maintained in alignment with the trailing edge of one divider, the trailing side of the next succeeding article on the conveyor i l will be in alignment with the leading edge of the next succeeding divider 28. If the thickness of the carton material be neglected, it will be seen then that the two leading articles on the article conveyor will be in alignment with the open end of the carton existing between the two adjacent dividers 23. As the roller 9i on the shank portion 58 of the filler slide 8-4 engages the inclined portion 24 of the cam rail 94, the slide is withdrawn outwardly from the carton conveyor it, thus withdrawing the pusher plate 12 from contact with the articles in the carton body and permitting the interceptor slide 8ll to become retracted under the influence of the coil spring 89 so that the pusher head 78 resumes its normal inoperative position. As previously stated, the cam rail 9 extends around the confines of the conveyor l6 and serves to return the filler slide proper to its retracted position prior to re-entry thereof into the filling zone. The

previously mentioned cam rail 86 performs no function other than to limit any tendency for the filler slide to move outwardly during its inoperative dwell so as to assure at all times that the roller 9| will line up with the cam plate 92 as the filler slid re-enters the filling zone.

After the pusher plate 12 has been withdrawn from contact with the articles which have been inserted into the carton, the filled cartons proceed along the straightway portion of the conveyor and the side fiaps ,fs and end flaps fe are operated upon by suitable fiap folding and tucking mechanism, which forms no part of the present invention, and thereafter the filled cartons are conducted to a point of discharge.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts from those disclosed herein without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the attendant advantages thereof, provided, however, that such changes fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1, In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in sideby-side relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former I conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, and means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor while said slide is operating to force an article into a carton.

2. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, and cam operated means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor ,to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor while said slide is operating to force an article into a carton.

3. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the

upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, aninterceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and. means operable during such inward movement of the filler slide for causing the interceptor member to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor and align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor while said slide is operating to force an article into a carton.

4. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and means positioned in the path of movement of said interceptor member for engaging the latter during inward movement of the filler slide and causing the interceptor member to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor and align the same with the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor.

5. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and. force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, and means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to arrest movement of the next succeeding article on the article conveyor.

6. In a carton filling machine,,a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide'inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and means operable during such inward movement of the filler slide for causing the interceptor member to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor and arrest movement of the same.

7. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-syside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and means positioned in the path of movement of said interceptor member for engaging the latter during inward movement of the filler slide and causing the interceptor member to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor and arrest movement of the same.

8. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said. conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and a stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of said interceptor member and designed for engagement with the same during inward movement of the filler slide to displace said interceptor member laterally of the slide and longitudinally of the article conveyor and into engagement with the next succeeding article on said latter conveyor to arrest movement of the latter.

9. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article con- 5 veyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and a stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of said interceptor member and designed for engagement with the same during inward movement of the filler slide to displace said interceptor member laterally of the slide and longitudinally of the article conveyor and into engagement with the next succeeding article on said latter conveyor to arrest movement of the latter, and align the same with the next succeeding carton on the conveyor.

10. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor of the endless belt type disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-by-side relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor slide mounted on each filler slide and movable thereon from a retracted position to an advanced position wherein it is laterally displaced on the filler slide, means yieldingly maintaining said interceptor slide in its retracted position, and a stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of said interceptor slide and designed for engagement with the same during inward movement of the filler slide to progressively move the same to its advanced position, said interceptor slide during movement thereof from its retracted position to its advanced position serving to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor and align the same with the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor.

11. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, an interceptor member movably mounted on each filler slide, and means operable during such inward movement of the filler slide for imparting a reverse component of motion to said member relative to the forward movement of the articles on the article conveyor to maintain the member in the path of movement of the next succeeding article on the article conveyor and hold the member against transverse movement relative to the direction of movement of the articles through the filling zone.

12. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons having a pair of end flaps and a cover flap, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-by-side relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor, and means at said filling zone for spreading said end and coverflaps out of the plane of the carton sides immediately prior to entrance of the article into the open end of the carton.

13. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of open ended cartons having a pair of end flaps and a cover flap, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-by-side relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor, a stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of one end flap in the filling zone and adapted to engage said latter fiap to spread the same out of the plane of the attached side of the carton, a second stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of the cover fiap in the filling zone and adapted to engage the latter flap to spread the same out of the plane of its attached carton side, a finger movable through said filling zone in the direction of movement of the articles passing through the zone and into engagement with the other end flap to spread the latter flap out of the plane of its attached side, and means for moving said finger in timed relation to movement of the articles passing through said filling zone.

14. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons having a pair of end flaps and a cover fiap, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-by-side relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor, a stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of one end flap in the filling zone and adapted to engage said latter flap to spread the same out of the plane of the attached side of the carton, a second stationary cam positioned in the path of movement of the cover fiap in the filling zone and adapted to engage the latter fiap to spread the same out of the plane of its attached carton side, a rotary finger movable through said filling zone in the direction of movement of the articles passing through the zone and into engagement with the other end flap to spread the latter fiap out of the plane of its attached side, and means for rotating said finger in timed relation to movement of the articles'passingv through said filling zone.

15. In a carton'filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said'conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyonmeans operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, and means operable during inward movement of the filler slide for momentarily arresting its inward movement prior to complete reception of the article in the carton.

16. In a carton filling machine,a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone for moving the slide inwardly toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor, and means operable during inward movement of the filler slide for momentarily arresting its inward movement prior to complete reception of the article in the carton.

17. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons having a pair of end flaps and a cover fiap, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-by-side relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a series of filler slides mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during passage of each filler slide through said filling zone formoving the slide inwardly toward the article and. carton conveyors to engage an article on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, means carried by each filler slide adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor, means at said filling zone for spreading said end and cover flaps out of the plane of the carton sides immediately prior to entrance of the article intothe open end of the carton, and means operable during inward movement of the filler slide for momentarily arresting its inward movement prior to complete reception of the article in the carton.

18. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyor adapted to receive thereon a series of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a common overlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, a. series of filler members mounted on and movable with the filler conveyor, means operable during. passage of each filler member through said filling zone for moving the filler member toward the article and carton conveyors to engage an ar-- ticle' on the former conveyor and force the same into a carton on the latter conveyor, and means carried by each filler member adapted to engage the next succeeding article on the article conveyor to align the same with the open end of the next succeeding carton on the carton conveyor while said filler member is operating to force an article into acarton.

19. In a carton filling machine, a carton conveyo'r' adapted to receive thereon a series; of openended cartons, a filler conveyor, an article conveyor disposed between said other conveyors, the upper runs of said conveyors existing in side-byside relationship and having a commonoverlapping portion constituting a filling zone, means for moving said conveyors continuously, means mounted on and. movable bodily with the filler conveyor for engaging an article on the article conveyor and forcing the same into a carton on the carton conveyor, and means operable under the control of said last mentioned means adapt-- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number v Name Date 1,609,802 Eckstrom et a1 Dec. 7, 1926 2,008,960 Lampard July 23, 1935 2,285,283 Jones June 2, 1942 2,4 0,866 Malhiot May 4, 1948 

